‘Zahir Jaffer’s fingerprints not found on murder weapon’

IO says ‘site map’ did not mention presence of main accused at crime scene

ISLAMABAD:

The investigation officer on Monday told the trial court that in the forensic report, fingerprints of Zahir Jaffer, the main accused in the murder of Noor Muqqadam, were not found on the weapon recovered from the crime scene nor did his pants contain blood stains at the time of his arrest.

When Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani resumed hearing of the case, the main accused's counsel Sikandar Zulqarnain cross-examined Investigation Officer (IO) Inspector Abdul Sattar. Prosecutor Rana Hassan Abbas was also present.

During the hearing, the main accused Zahir Jaffer continuously sat on the ground in the courtroom with his head down.

During the cross-examination, IO Sattar while answering questions of Zulqarnain said that he reached the crime scene after getting information from the investigation wing at around 9:45 pm along with Constable Dost Muhammad, Constable Sikandar Hayat, ASI Zubair Mazhar, Constable Abid Lateef, Constable Aitzaz, SHO Women and Lady Constable Aqsa Rani.

He told the court that ASI Zubair Mazhar had already reached the scene. The IO said that what he had written in the police diary that Mazhar was accompanying him was incorrect.

He said that plaintiff Shaukat Ali Muqqadam was already present at the crime scene along with his relatives but he never asked him (Muqqadam) who they were except for a person named Jawad Jahan.

“I did not ask Jawad Jahan how he received the information and reached the crime scene," he added adding that as per the DNA report issued by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency, the hair recovered from a Swiss knife was not fit for the DNA analysis.

The IO told the court that there were no bloodstains on the paints of accused Zahir when he was arrested.

"I reread all the documents after the preparation of the challan. The death certificate obtained from Federal Polyclinic Hospital Islamabad mentions the date and time of death as midnight, July 21, 2021," the IO said.

The dead body was sent from the F-7 house to the mortuary at 11:45 pm on July 20, Sattartold the court adding that Dr Shazia had given a document on which the time of admission was mentioned as 12:10 am, July 21, while the date of death has been mentioned as July 21.

The court also learnt that Column 7 of the inquest report mentioned that there were no signs of any cut on the clothes of the deceased. It was also revealed that the two remands granted on July 21, and July 24 respectively, did not mention the recovery of anything from the crime scene. The IO also admitted that the July 22 site map neither show the presence of Zahir Jaffer nor the basement and the entry or exit to the basement of the house.

"I have not mentioned in the police diary that I searched only the first floor, the lounge, and the related room and not searched other portions of the house," Sattar told the court. The IO further said that he did not personally know Noor Muqqadam and that he did not get the photo collected from the DVR vetted through a photogrammetry test.

"I didn't mention the name/brand/company of the DVR recovered from the house," he said. Sattar also accepted that he did not notice that a security system was installed at the house.

"I didn't get the torn-out clothes of the deceased, her handbag, or any other belongings which I had seen in the CCTV footage. Sattar also declared that neither did he record the statement of any person from the neighbouring nor get the CCTV footage from the neighbouring house.

The court adjourned the hearing till January 26.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2022.